


The Beginning

by princessoftheworlds



Series: Rogers and Barnes Law [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: (sort of), Alternate Universe - Lawyers, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, Murdock and Nelson AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-14
Updated: 2019-01-14
Packaged: 2019-10-09 21:51:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17413388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princessoftheworlds/pseuds/princessoftheworlds
Summary: Fresh outta law school, Steve is having a tough time finding work. Then Natasha makes a crazy suggestion that may not actually be that crazy at all. She thinks that Steve should talk to his self-declared nemesis James Barnes, and Steve decides that he might as well. Not like his luck could get any better, right?





	The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a prompt suggested by my wonderful friend and mentor [marleymortis](http://marleymortis.tumblr.com/). This fic sat in my Google Drive for about a month, because I wasn't sure how to post it. I finally decided to do individual installments. I've got a sequel to this ready to be posted if this gets any traffic, and I've also got a half-written third installment. I don't really have plans for this series, but let's see if anyone actually reads it first??????

It’s the end of a long, hard week full of disappointments and rejections, and Steve’s never felt so low since the first time he took the LSAT – he passed, but you never know with those things. Three months after he graduated from law school, he’s working in an art store a few blocks from the apartment he shares with his best friends Sam and Sharon while his classmates and friends from Columbia have found jobs at fancy Manhattan law firms.

Case in point: Natasha, who sits before him in a Starbucks, listening to him ramble about his week. Red Room Law grabbed her right after graduation, and judging by the shiny new Louboutins that shift as she crosses her legs, she’s doing pretty well there. 

“So,” Natasha says, leaning forward to pick at the straw of her mocha frappuccino, “you’re telling me that not a single law firm that you applied to accepted. Didn’t even give you an interview?” She raises a skeptical eyebrow. “You, with your 3.8 GPA and resume longer than my arm?”

Steve, squeezing his own empty Starbucks cup, flushes. “It’s not that,” he states, fumbling for the words to explain his predicament. “Look. Out of the fifty or so firms I applied to, only a few called me back for an interview. I don’t want to work for the ones who did.” When Natasha opens her mouth to interject, he stubbornly bulldozes on. “Come on, Natasha. Landman and Zack is run by two corrupt partners who clearly don’t care about their clients. Hogarth, Chao and Benowitz had that sex scandal that forced Jeri Hogarth out. I don’t want to work for firms like that.”

Natasha hums thoughtfully as she taps her fingers on the table, her painted nails clacking against the wooden surface. “Oddly or not, you aren’t the only one I’ve spoken to today who’s having similar problems.” She reaches for her cup and takes a long sip.

“Really?” Steve asks, intrigued, wondering who else of their classmates could be having a similar experience finding a job. 

“You might be pleased to hear this,” she begins, pushing her now-empty cup away from her, “but it’s James.”

Immediately, Steve’s brain plays a montage reel of all the times that James Barnes has tormented him, starting from freshman year of undergrad and running up to just a few months ago. “Hey,” he says, slightly insulted, “just because Barnes and I have had a few disagreements-”

“A few?” she says with a faintly amused expression. “Try a long-running rivalry.”

“Okay, fine. Just because Barnes and I can’t agree on anything ever, that still doesn’t mean that I would wish my rejection rate on anyone.” He frowns. “Besides, Barnes’ GPA was near flawless. Why is he getting rejected?” 

She doesn’t reply, and it takes a moment for the answer to dawn on him. 

“It’s not the thing with Pierce,  _ right _ ?” Steve asks with mounting horror, his suspicion confirmed by the tightening of Natasha’s smile. “Nat, that’s  _ fucked up _ !” 

Natasha shrugs helplessly. “He’s damaged goods,” she says with an attitude that most would perceive as nonchalance. Only someone who knows Natasha as well as Steve does would be able to see the wrinkling of her nose and gritted teeth as hints of what she really thinks of the treatment of her best friend.

“It was nearly half a decade ago,” Steve protests.

Instead of replying, Natasha checks the Rolex at her wrist and whistles. “That’s the end of my lunch break. I’ll see you soon?” 

Steve sighs as they both rise to their feet; he reaches to grab her in a quick hug as she stretches to press a kiss to his cheek. “I’ll text you.”

“Great!” Her lips curve into a slight but genuine smile that fades quickly. “Now,” she says, briefly fixing Steve with an intense stare. “I know you still have James’ email. Send him a message. You boys can both wallow in misery together.”

It’s phrased like a suggestion, but Steve knows that Natasha will hunt him down if he doesn’t.

 

* * *

 

Steve’s been sitting at the bar for twenty minutes, checking his watch, when Barnes finally comes barreling through the door, wisps of hair slipping out of his man bun. He glances around for a moment, eyes lighting up when they land on Steve, and heads straight to him.

“Sorry I’m late,” Barnes huffs as he slides onto a stool besides Steve. “There was a delay on the subway, and it didn’t help that I accidentally got on the wrong train.” 

Suddenly struck dumb by his somewhat nemesis’s exposed cheekbones and shadowed stubble, Steve does what he does best in moments like this. “Glad to see that graduating law school didn’t change your tardiness,” he replies snidely.

Used to their dynamic, Barnes rolls his eyes. “Real mature, Rogers,” he says. “You’re the one who asked to meet me.”

Steve sighs. “At Natasha’s suggestion.”

“ _ Oh _ .” Barnes’ expression floods with understanding, and he raises his right arm to flag the bartender. 

Steve notices that Barnes’ left arm remains tightly at his side, as it has been since the accident in senior year of undergrad where he lost most of its function. When the bartender arrives before Barnes, he asks for a pint of beer, and Steve can’t help himself, blurting out, “I thought you stopped drinking?”

A shadow flashes across Barnes’ eyes. “It’s been five years, Steve,” he says darkly, and the use of Steve’s first name reminds him that they’re treading a deeply personal line for two men who claim to dislike each other.

“Right,” Steve says and hastily changes the topic. “So Natasha told me that you weren’t having any better luck with law firms than I was, which fucking sucks.” He tries for a sympathetic smile, hoping the other man doesn’t read it as smarmy or smug. He’s never been good with being direct or realistic when it comes to communicating with James Barnes.

The bartender returns with Barnes’ beer and slides one to Steve, who had actually forgotten that he’d asked for a drink just before Barnes entered the bar. Barnes brings the glass to his lips and takes a long,  _ long _ drink while Steve unenthusiastically sips at his own. Finally, Barnes sets the glass down with a clunk and wipes the foam from his mouth with the back of his hand. “That’s an understatement,” he scoffs. “I’m sure you at least got a few interviews, but it’s been total radio silence for me.”

Steve, as he mentioned to Natasha, actually  _ has  _ gotten a few unfruitful interviews, which is why he flushes; he also doesn’t dare to voice the reason they both know is why Barnes has been blacklisted from the best law firms in New York City. “Only like three,” Steve finally says, eyes cast to the wooden bartop. 

“But they’re all either corrupt or problematic,” Barnes guesses correctly. “I guess that does fucking  _ suck _ .” He drains his glass and then rolls it between his hands.

“How did two Brooklyn boys who both made it to Columbia luck out so hard?” Steve groans, throwing back the last of his beer. He swallows and flips the glass upside down, placing it back on the bartop. 

“To be fair,” Barnes begins as he slips a stray lock of hair behind his ear, drawing Steve’s eyes to the movement, “I’m from Indiana. I only moved here in high school, so it doesn’t count.”

Ignoring Barnes’ last statement, Steve purses his lips. “Hell, even Clint joined DA Fury’s office. At this point, we might as well create our own law firm.”

A light sparks in Barnes’ eyes, and he reaches for an abandoned napkin on the bartop, pulling a pen from his jacket pocket. “You might be onto something, buddy,” he announces, uncapping the pen and furiously drawing on the napkin. He works on it for a solid minute while Steve strains his neck, struggling to make out what Barnes is sketching.

“What are you even doing?” Steve complains, but Barnes doesn’t reply.

Finally, several moments later, Barnes turns the napkin around and slides it over to Steve, who holds it up to the light.

“ _ Barnes and Rogers Law _ ,” reads a bewildered Steve, turning to gaze at Barnes in disbelief. “Are you  _ serious _ ?”

“No, I’m James,” Barnes says, cracking a rare smile that illuminates the rest of his handsome features and makes Steve’s heart stutter. “Besides, you said it yourself. We have shit luck with law firms, so we may as well create our own.” He locks eyes with Steve. “What do you say,  _ partner _ ?”

Steve must be losing his mind when he says, “Fine. But my name’s coming first; it was my idea.”

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how Rogers and Barnes Law was born.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr [here](http://princess-of-the-worlds.tumblr.com/) to let me know how much you liked this fic or request a prompt. Comments and kudos would be nice too! Also, follow me on twitter [here](https://twitter.com/rajkumarinik). I have no posts currently, but I hope to remedy that soon.


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